Vapor dome



Jan.,13, 1942. c. A. ERICKSON VAPOR DOME Filed July 12, 1940 r. n n.

Patented Jan. 13, 1942 trios Y VAPOR DOME Charles A. Erickson, Chicago, Ill., assigner to United Specialties Company, Chicago, Ill., a

corporation of Delaware Application July 12, 1940, Serial No. 345,137

(Cl. 10S- 224) 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a vapor dome which may be used in pumps of many types. It has for one object to provide a baflle in such a dome. It has for another object to provide generally means within the dome to prevent its being flooded by liquid which may be passing through the pump or system to which the dome is applied. It has for another object to provide a vapor dome having two chambers and means separating the two chambers shaped to prevent the entrance of liquid into the uppermost chamber.

Other objects will appear from time to time throughout the specication and the claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing as applied to a pump housing which is shown only sufficiently to indicate an entrance and an exit passage for liquid moving through the system, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the vapor dome; and

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken at line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Like parts are designated by like characters throughout the specification and the drawing.

I is a housing which defines a liquid entrance chamber 2 and a second chamber 3 which is threaded as at 4 to receive a correspondinglyv threaded valve seat 5. 6 is a valve which is positioned upon the valve seat at 5 and normally held in position by a spring 1 which may yield to permit opening of the valve. 8 is a projection formed preferably integrally with the housing I and about which the spring 'I is positioned. 9, 9 are perforations formed in the housing and leading to a vapor dome.

II) is an outlet passage interiorly threaded as at Il to receive an outlet pipe or conduit I2.

The upward extension of the housingr I in which the passages 9 are formed is exteriorly threaded as at I3 to receive a collar I4 which may have its upper end outwardly spun or bent to engage the collar portion I6 of a vapor dome bowl I1 which preferably terminates in an outwardly bent ange I 8.

Positioned against the flange I8 is a ange I9 of a baille 20 which is provided with an upward, more or less conical point or portion 2|. The balile may have one or more perforations 22 formed in it and these are positioned away from the upper portion and preferably adjacent the l ACil Although there is shown an operative form of the device, it will be understood that many changes in the form, shape and arrangement of parts might be made without departing from the spirit of this invention, and it is wished that the showing be taken as, in a sense, diagrammatic.

In particular, the vapor dome of this invention may be formed in any desired manner. As shown, it is formed of sheet metal and is held together by bending a portion of one of the bowls about a portion of the other. This is a simple construction but the invention is in no sense limited to this or any other particular construction and the entire construction might be made integrally or, if made in more than one part, the parts might be secured together in any desired manner. exact proportions or curvatures shown and, in general, comprises a vapor dome, however made, having within it a baille which divides it into a plurality of chambers, the baiile being arranged to make entrance of liquid into one of the chambers difcult.

The invention is, of course, not limited to any particular number of openings such as the openings 9. There might be one or several. .Similarly, the baffle itself might have only a single opening 22 or a number of such openings and th'e claims are not to be taken as limited to any particular number of openings in either of these elements.

The use and operation of this device are as follows:

The dome may be used in any pump or any other liquid handling system or apparatus in which a vapor dome may be used. Experience has shown that an ordinary vapor dome will under many conditions ll up with liquid and, thus, it no longer serves the purpose of a vapor dome but merely adds generally to the capacity of the`passages or the system as a whole, and thus fails entirely to perform the function of a vapor dome.

The present invention may be utilized wherever a vapor dome is desired. As shown, it is adaptable into a liquid pump. Liquid enters through the space 2. When pressure conditions permit, the Valve S yields against the spring 'I and liquid passes through the space 3, the passage IU and into the outlet conduit I2. Sometimes pressure conditions cause an effect which tends to force liquid through the passages 9 and into the vapor dome. This may be -a small quantity of liquid. It may even be forced in so violently as to rise up in one or more jets. When The invention is not limited to the lthat occurs in the present construction, the liquid tends to impinge against the baille 20, 2|, and its entry into the space above the baille is prevented. When a liquid shoots up into or through the lower chamber, it strikes the baffle near its centerthat is to say, at some point away from the perforations 22-and it is deflected and does not enter the upper chamber of the dome above the baille. The baille is provided with openings around its periphery or anywhere away from the parts of the baille which would normally be struck by the jets of liquid entering through the openings 9. Liquid, therefore, does not normally enter through these openings and they permit the air which is compressed in the upper chamber above the baille 20, 2i during the discharge stroke of the diaphragm to expand and force out the liquid from the lower chamber during the suction stroke of the diaphragm. The result is a smoother flow and an increased delivery.

Should liquid in the lower bowl Il arise suciently to pass through the openings 22, they permit ready discharge of liquid when the liquid level is lowered again in response to changed pressure conditions in the system. The effect of the baille and particularly of its shape and the locations of the perforations 22 in it is such as to make complete filling of the vapor dome extremely unlikely. Thus, the dome comprises means for preventing filling and for preserving its true vapor dome effect in the pumping or liquid transmission operation which is carried out in the system to which the dome is applied. The device has been called a vapor dome. It is recognized that other names are used for devices of this sort and the expression vapor dome is not to be taken as a limitation of the use or purpose of the device. It may be used anywhere where such devices or analogous devices can advantageously be used irrespective of the name by which they may be called.

I claim:

1. A vapor dome compris-ing a closed housing a single inlet and outlet means therefor comprising a passage member secured to said housing, a baille, positioned within said housing above said inlet means and provided with a raised portion extending away from said inlet means, said raised portionbeing imperforate, said baille being perforated away from said raised portion.

2. A vapor dome comprising a closed housing a Single inlet and outlet means therefor comprising a passage member secured to said housing, a baffle, positioned within said housing above said inlet means and provided with a raised portion extending away from said inlet means, said raised portion being central of said baille, said baille being imperforate except adjacent its edges.

CHARLES A. ERICKSON. 

